


Blank Period

by orochiis



Series: Invisible Ties [5]
Category: Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Babies, F/M, Fluff, between ch11 and 12, lon'qu x olivia is only kinda implied here
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-25
Updated: 2016-03-25
Packaged: 2018-05-29 02:04:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,388
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6354421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orochiis/pseuds/orochiis
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lucina can't stop herself from watching.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Blank Period

**Author's Note:**

> This one's a bit longer than the other ones! I hope you enjoy c:

The start of spring hails an important day in Ylisse. The capital is packed full of excited citizens, some dressed in their finest for this special occasion. One, a sprightly blue haired girl, covers her face with a cloak, pushing through to the front of the crowds to see the carriage as it drives past. It won’t be here for a good while, though, so she settles into people watching, making up stories for the different people she sees.  
  
Across the road, she spots a dark haired individual, who seems to spot her at the same time. His eyes widen, and he waves excitedly, pushing through his own crowd to join her. They don’t need to speak- no; their bond is strong enough to avoid words. Instead they stand, side by side, toes tapping against the cobblestones of Ylisstol.

A cheer goes up from the end closest to the palace, and the bells start ringing. Suddenly Lucina’s chest fills with excitement, and the boy beside her turns expectantly, waiting for her to say something. She doesn’t merely holding her breath until the carriage comes into sight.  
  
And there they are. Her hair is loose around her shoulders; different from all the other times Lucina has spotted her thus far. Her dress is just like what she was shown in photos, and Lucina’s eyes fill with tears of happiness. He is dressed in white just like she, a stark contrast from his cobalt hair. He spots her as they drive past, and the couple hang out the side, waving at the unknown girl.  
  
“It must be strange to be this old when your parent’s are getting married,” Inigo comments, staring after them. It’s a joke, obviously, but Lucina doesn’t smile.  
  
“I’m just grateful they’re still alive. I was worried that by changing one thing or another, I would kill one of them, and erase my own existence.”  
  
“And we wouldn’t want that now, would we?” He elbows her in the side, and she stumbles slightly, smiling nervously. His face turns serious for a second. “I wonder what my parents are doing right now.”  
  
“I think they’ve only just met,” Lucina explains, making her way back through the crowd, Inigo loyally by her side. “Basilio only deployed her before the final battle against Plegia, and whether or not they got talking is another matter entirely.”  
  
“I hope they’re doing okay.” He’s a lot more carefree about it than Lucina is, and as much as he wants to meet his mother, she’s told him over and over that he must stay away from the capital. Today’s an exception, though, since she manages to stay away from the big cities, subtly taking care of Risen of her own.

“I’m sure they’re okay. I don’t even think they both live here. They could be back in Ferox for all we know.”

“Well, Lucina, I have to get back to my band of merry men. It was _delightful_ to see you again.”  
  
“And you, Inigo.”  
  
He disappears into the crowd, nodding and winking and causing her to pinch the bridge of her nose. He’s a hopeless case, that Inigo.

* * *

The palace is buzzing all week, with news and gifts and visitors. The khans from Ferox visit, with Lon’qu and Olivia in tow, to congratulate the newly wedded couple. Robin smiles at their kindness, and Chrom manages to enter some fight with Basilio over the fate of his best soldier, who promptly shuts them up by saying he’ll fight with anyone. Robin attempts to talk to Olivia, but since they barely know each other, it ends quickly.  
  
Lissa continues to hover about, and Chrom has to warn her not to be courting anyone (little does he know that she’s practically engaged already). Miriel pops in almost every day with a question to Robin about her health and a not so subtle raised eyebrow. And of course, Frederick watches over them all, perhaps less so now they are married (which they must remind him every day).

“I still can’t believe we’re married,” Chrom comments idly, staring into the fireplace. It’s nice for them to be able to relax like this, with the stresses of wars behind them. Of course, they’re by no means free- Chrom has his duties as the leader of the land, and Robin has to at least keep up appearances (but everyone knows she does most of the work outside of the council rooms).

“I can,” Robin smirks. “Your feet are always really cold and it takes me a long time to get to sleep.” Chrom flushes at this, and goes hastily back to writing his letter. “Who are you writing to?” His wife asks, a gentle look on her face.  
  
“Gaius. I was sending my congratulations on his engagement. I thought you knew about that?”  
  
“I hadn’t heard,” Robin says. “To who?”  
  
“Maribelle.” Robin’s jaw goes slack at this. “I know. I had the same reaction. Apparently they had some kind of past together. But they got engaged just before the war.”  
  
“Let me add my own paragraph on the end,” she encourages.  
  
“No way.”  
  
“Why, are you writing beautiful words of your bromance in the letter, and won’t let me see them?” Chrom glares at the inkwell, and Robin knows she’s hit the mark. “Fine, I’ll write my own, and you can include it in your envelope. Fair enough?” He nods, and she settles back in her chair, covering her face with her book to hide her smirk.

* * *

Nighttime presents a whole new set of problems for Robin. Both Chrom and all the royal advisors expect her to produce a child within the year, but Robin would rather not be tied down, instead wanting to travel the world. But she knows with her position, there’s no way she’ll get what she wants, so she lets Chrom have his way. Not that she doesn’t enjoy it, of course, but she can think of about a million things she could better occupy her time with. She could be planning more emergency war strategies, or fixing her cloak (which she’s been putting off doing for a good few months).

She likes just lying in the dark, eyes closed, with Chrom’s arms wrapped around her. He draws patterns on the top of her arms, lulling her to sleep. She knows she’s safe here, but she’s still not sure what she was scared of in the first place. The odd nightmare torments her dreams, becoming gradually more and more frequent. But with Chrom protecting her, and she protecting him, she’ll be okay.

Illness riddles Robin for a few days, until Miriel snoops around the castle and finds her sitting in her bedroom, bucket by her side, writing frantically. Miriel taps on the door, causing the girl to jump almost out of her skin. The older mage circles her expectantly, looking for some kind of plausible excuse for her symptoms.  
  
“You’re-“  
  
“I know,” Robin interrupts through gritted teeth. “And I really would rather this wasn’t happening, at least not yet.”  
  
“Well, these things happen, my dear,” Miriel says matter of factly, perching on a stool and crossing her legs. 

“I know,” Robin repeats, sighing slightly. “I need to tell Chrom.”  
  
“That you do. But take your time. It’s important you do this correctly.”  
  
“I think I’ll just tell him. I’m not one for fancy metaphors, or anything.”  
  
“Well,” Miriel snorts, adjusting her glasses. “Good luck with that.”  
  
She rises gracefully, ignoring the loud sigh from her younger apprentice. Robin had really grown on Miriel during their time together fighting, and had taken her under her wing to train her (really, Robin was useless with the technicalities of a tome for the first while). She leaves the room with a swish of her cloak, and Robin bangs her head on the table. Miriel was the closest thing she had to a mother, despite the woman not being anywhere near old enough to be hers actually.   
  
Robin’s eyes fell to her stomach, where she knew the tiny baby was slowly growing inside her. She wasn’t ready to be a mother. Gods, she wanted to be one, but with the child’s parents would be in constant danger, as the royals of the land, the general of the army and his tactician. Although the child could live a happy life in the palace, Robin just feared what would happen if both her and Chrom were to fall in battle.

She musters up her courage that night- it was better to get it over and done with. She spends a while staring out into the night sky from their bedroom window before blowing the last candle out. Chrom is already in bed, watching her intently.

“Is something the matter, Robin?” He asks, and she turns slowly, biting her lip.  
  
“We’ve been married for a few months now.” It’s not a question, but a statement, and Chrom has never been more worried in his life. He sits upright, narrowing his eyes slightly.

“Yes. Where are you going with this?”  
  
“Gods, this is so awkward…” she mumbles, leaning against the desk. “Chrom… I’m pregnant.”  
  
“You’re…. You’re what?” He stutters, getting to his feet.  
  
“I’m expecting a baby.” The elation hits her all at once, and she smiles widely, in the hope of making him smile too.  
  
“We’re… going to have a child together.” She nods at his statement, and he rushes towards her, sweeping her up in his arms and spinning her around in his arms. “This is the best news I’ve heard all day! No, all year!” He sets her down carefully, planting a kiss on her forehead. “I love you so much.”  
  
“I love you too,” she smiles, placing one hand gently over her stomach.

* * *

The past seems to repeat itself a lot for Lucina. Being here is strange enough, but she knows what day is coming up. She wants to avoid the city as much as she possibly can for the month of April, but the allure pulls her back in, and she finds herself skulking around the palace walls until an eagle eyed Chrom comes out to speak to her. She quickly flicks her hair over her left eye when she spots him.

  
“Marth. It’s good to see you again.”  
  
“You too. I trust married life is treating you well?” Play cool, Lucina. Her palms are sweaty, and she fears a sudden gust of wind moving her hair out of place.  
  
“Indeed. I take it you heard about the news?”  
  
“Of course. It’s the talk of the country.” She’s lying through her teeth. She hasn’t been near any villages as of late, but she knows the exact birth date of the baby, obviously.   
  
“Congratulations.”  
  
“You should stop by once the baby has been born. Many of the other shepherds will be gathering too.” 

“I may. Thank you for extending the invitation to me, despite me being not part of the army officially.”

“Your help has been invaluable the past few years. And of course, if you’re willing, you’re always welcome to join the shepherds.”  
  
“I don’t think I’m suited to that kind of life,” she admits.  
  
“Well, Marth, the invitation is still open for if you ever decide to take it. Take care.” He pats her on the shoulder and turns back inside the palace walls, and the guards stand firmly in place again. She sighs, and heads back into the markets, ignoring the excitement growing in her stomach.

* * *

The news is heralded from the palace walls a few days later, though of course Lucina already knows the baby is here. She, along with a large crowd of onlookers stand by the gates of the palace for hours, waiting for the baby to be brought outside. Lucina knows that she won’t be brought out until tomorrow, but to the citizens of Ylisstol, she’s a royal fanatic, so she has to look the part.

The baby is indeed brought onto the balcony on the twenty first of April, and a cheer goes up from the crowd. It’s strange to see herself, so many years younger than she is now. The baby Lucina is only new to the world, and doesn’t know the troubles that the elder Lucina has seen. And if Lucina has her way, this royal baby won’t know the troubles.

She sees the shepherds the next few days, piling into the palace to congratulate their general on the birth of his son. Robin looks tired, but Chrom does a lot of the talking for her. The baby is showered in presents, and Lucina watches as Sumia and Cordelia buy matching dresses for her, ones that she remembers being tucked away in a drawer. Part of her wants to go and see the baby, but she drags herself away from the city, the tunes of celebration still playing as she goes.

* * *

“I’ve heard a lot of troubling things lately,” Chrom says one evening, as the couple sit in the library. They’ve been married for just over one year now, and the proof of their love, baby Lucina, sits cradled in Robin’s arms.

“Like what?” She asks, tracing circles on Lucina’s cheeks. She’s asleep, and Robin can’t help but admire her.

“Apparently, there have been rumours of fighting in Valm, across the water. Flavia mentioned it a few weeks ago.”  
  
“Isn’t that country tiny, though? Who do they have to fight?” Robin says, glancing up at her husband.  
  
“A conqueror, apparently. I don’t quite believe it myself, however. And I’m not too worried, unless they come to Ferox, or even Plegia. We’re living in a time of peace.”  
  
“I’m glad that she can grow up without the troubles of war on her shoulders,” Robin comments.  
  
“I, too. Emmeryn, Lissa and I didn’t have that comfort, and I assume that your childhood was war stricken too, though you don’t remember it, luckily.”  
  
“I’ve seen quite enough war to do me a lifetime already.”  
  
“This country will be at war again, I guarantee it. Let’s just hope that we’re too old to do anything about it by then.”  
  
“Let’s hope.”

Chrom kisses her forehead, and Lucina’s, before leaving the library. Robin stays a few minutes more, staring out over the halidom. It may be peaceful now, but if Chrom is right, the torches of revolution could soon be lit all over the continent.


End file.
